It was late fall of 1974 and I was driving back east to New York after two months of rock climbing and living in Yosemite Valley, California. I had been behind the wheel of my old VW Bug for most of the day, stopping every so often to walk and take in the views.

As the sun kissed the western horizon, I arrived at the South Rim and jumped out of my car. The panorama unfolded before me as I approached the edge. I was floored. Looking across the yawning gap, with its mighty river and layered colors cooling in the dusk, I felt a slack-jawed, spiritual awe. It reminded me of seeing Yosemite for the first time a few months earlier, but this experience was somehow larger, deeper, and more infinite.

Unfortunately, this magnificent landscape is at grave risk from the effects of uranium mining. While Grand Canyon National Park protects this section of the Colorado River and its banks, the surrounding watershed that directly feeds the river is not protected, and it harbors hundreds of uranium claims, several abandoned mines, and several proposed mining sites.

I stood there as the sun set. Yellow gave way to pink, vermillion, blue, and finally darkness. I felt very small, but deeply connected to the vast sweep of geologic time, and humbled and inspired by the splendors of our miraculous planet. I’ve returned to the Grand Canyon several times since, alone and with family and friends. Each time, it reminds me of its incalculable value, challenges my imagination, and invigorates my spirit. We need to seize this chance to protect it.

Peter Metcalf is the CEO, president and founder of Black Diamond Equipment, a global leader in climbing and ski-mountaineering gear. Metcalf currently serves as a director of the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank’s Salt Lake City office and a board member of the outdoor industry’s Conservation Alliance. Prior to founding Black Diamond in 1989, Peter served as the general manager of Chouinard Equipment, a subsidiary of Patagonia, and completed multiple alpine-style first ascents in the Alaska range. Peter holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Colorado.